Hongshan Culture (La Culture de Mont Rouge)

Hongshan (means “Red Hill”) culture was discovered by France, Japan and domestic China’s archeologists in early 20th century. In 1938, a Japanese archeologist Hamada Kōsaku（濱田耕作）published his book named “After Red Hill At Chifen”《赤峰紅山後》 about his fieldwork included archeological digs at Chifeng of China. Hongshan culture covers an area from the Wuerjimulun River valley of Chifeng, Inner Mongolia in the north to Chaoyang, Lingyuan and the northern part of Hebei Province in the south, extends 200,000 square km centers. This Culture dates from 4500-2250BC and is one of the earliest and the most advanced civilizations discovered to date in China. During its beginning period, Hongshan culture was in its heyday of matriarchal society, whose key social structure is mainly composed by tribal groups linked by blood strain of women. Gradually it transited into the patriarchal society. The agriculture-based economy, integrates animal husbandry, fishing, and hunting as one. Its remains are made up of the unique painted pottery, “Z”-shaped pottery and microlith which owns features of Neolithic culture.

The Hongshan were also temple builders and city builders who created some of the earliest nephrite jade carvings. Their sophisticated Jade carving techniques employed technologies that exceeded simple explanations. Many of the Hongshan Jade artifacts are well persevered due to the fact that Hongshan culture utilized slab burial tombs and because of the dry arid climate of Inner Mongolia.

Hongshan jades have been discovered in large quantities with over 52 different types of Jade objects in various shapes and forms. The art of jade carving developed to a higher level. There are finished articles including jade crockery with the “C”-shaped dragon, the shape of the head of pig and the body of dragon, jade turtle, jade bird, quadruped-shaped jade, band-shaped utensil, rod-shaped jade and so on.

It is obvious from the study of Hongshan artifacts that a highly sophisticated knowledge of mathematics and Astronomy become evident. The extensive employment of ritual jades in China by the Hongshan during its late prehistory must certainly demonstrate to the world of archeology that these people were not "Neolithic Age" but rather "Jade Age"

The most representative item of Hongshan jades is the “C”-shaped dragon. Its whole body is curly, holding its mouth high; hair is dancing with Wind. “C”-shaped dragon totem is never found in other Neolithic Cultures. In 1971, a large green jade “C”-shaped dragon was found in Inner Mongolia. It is 26cm high and 1kg weight. There is a small hole on its spine. If using a rope through the hole to hang it, the dragon’s head can be balanced with its tail, so it is called “First Dragon in China”!

Today, founding in 2011, as the first Tourbillon watch brand in Hong Kong, Memorigin Watch Company increases its target market shares rapidly in Asia-pacific Rim with their successful policy of high quality, beautiful/exclusive design and competitive price. They were awarded to the prize of Hong Kong Emerging Brand from Hong Kong Brand Development Council (HKBDC) in 2012.

In order to satisfy many watch lovers’ high requirements, exclusive tastes, different styles from European wrist watches, as well as express respect to the traditional Chinese culture and Hong Kong’s core cultural value, Memorigin honorably develops a new watch brand, MONTROUGE (French, means “Red Hill”), with “C”-shaped dragon totem as the brand logo to the memory of the Hongshan culture and its first discoverers, two French archeologists: Mr. Pierre Tilhard and Mr. E. Licent.